


Children of the Ice

by MoonQueen17640



Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Olympics, I am a figure skater so yes I know what I'm talking about :), M/M, Sibling Incest, Sibling Love, alternate universe - figure skating
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-03-18
Updated: 2014-03-18
Packaged: 2018-01-16 05:16:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,720
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1333393
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MoonQueen17640/pseuds/MoonQueen17640
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ever since they were little boys just learning to skate, it was always their world. They loved being able to fly across the ice together and escape from the judgment and criticism of those around them. From those first wobbly strokes to their final bow, they always did it together.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Children of the Ice

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Vera (Vera_DragonMuse)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vera_DragonMuse/gifts), [Violette_Pleasures](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Violette_Pleasures/gifts).



> This story means so much to me. I've been involved in the world of figure skating ever since I was little, with my aunt being a coach. In recent months I took it up again and have absolutely fallen in love with the sport and its beauty. With the Olympics having just occurred, I thought it would be only fitting to write this out! 
> 
> *Huge love goes to Vera (Vera_DragonMuse) for inspiring me to go with this idea and for writing a brilliant figure skating au of her own and also to Violette_Pleasures for creating these GORGEOUS drawings for this piece http://mynotsosimplepleasure.tumblr.com/post/79908634889/ice-skater-fili-and-kili-for-the-wonderful http://mynotsosimplepleasure.tumblr.com/post/79908957730/i-made-two-3-theyre-doing-an-ice-dance  
> Go check them out, they're amazing! Thank you so much for reading! Comments and kudos make my day :)*
> 
> *Feel free to ask about any questions you might have about figure skating as well! I'd love to answer them :)*
> 
> *Upon thinking about it, I've made this a multi-chaptered fic. My idea is that I will take prompts for one shots about specific events introduced in this narrative first chapter. Let me know what you'd like to hear more about!*

From the beginning, it was their world. The ice was a place of freedom and isolation, never judging, never disgracing. It was their home and their lives. Fili was the first to take to it, standing on wobbly legs and clinging tightly to the wall as he listened with fierce determination to the instructor. By the end of that first day he was already the fastest in the learn-to-skate class, throwing his body forward with grace far beyond his years. The coaches all watched him with knowing eyes, sensing the talent stored within his tiny child’s body. He was stoic and serene but took in everything around him, absorbing corrections and making each stroke deliberate and sure. There was a natural artistry within him, extending out to the reaches of his arms and the extensions of his legs. He burned with an internal fire that all could see reflected in his eyes.

By the end of that year, Fili had already advanced far beyond anyone’s guesses, his fierce determination and fiercer work ethic had made him capable of powerful crossovers and deep edges, shifting effortlessly from inside to outside. His coach casually brought up the idea of ice dancing, and the young blond held onto that idea like a lifeline. The next day he was paired with a wide-eyed brunette, Sigrid, who was wary of touching him in any way. Once the two got over their initial awkwardness, they flew around the rink, extensions and the beginnings of lifts moving as fluidly as the water frozen beneath their blades. It was clear from even a casual glance that the two had a natural physical chemistry that boded well for the future.

Other than Sigrid, there was always one other constant at the rink while Fili skated, his little shadow, captivated by his brother’s grace and strength, always watching through the glass on his tiptoes, enraptured by what he saw. Kili’s wild attitude and wily stubbornness never came with him to the rink. Their mother frequently left him there so that she could escape his fearsome childish temper. She knew that Kili would never do anything when Fili skated except watch. And watch he did. The young brunet couldn’t take his eyes off his brother, almost never blinking as he watched each and every flash of his blades. His love for Fili went beyond childish adoration; he felt deep within his young soul a connection between him and his perfect brother. Fili was always the only one who could get Kili to calm his volatile tendencies, he was the one who sang the brunet to sleep when nightmares gripped him, and he was the one who curled around his brother and only let go of his hand when he took Sigrid’s and went out onto the ice. Kili both hated and loved watching his brother skate, though he adored seeing him glide effortlessly over the surface, it was the only time the two of them were ever apart from each other, and Kili missed the feeling of his brother’s closeness even for those few hours each week.

* * *

At long last, Kili was deemed old enough and mature enough to begin his own skating experience. Unlike his cautious and thoughtful kin, the brunet blazed onto the ice like a demon, racing out before he could give his actions a second thought. Though he lost his balance without the ability to stop, Kili sped around the rink with an energy and vitality that made Fili smile in admiration. Kili immediately made a beeline for his brother, nearly crashing into an amused Sigrid to grab Fili’s hand and intertwine their fingers tightly. The grin that spread across the brunet’s face was infectious, and Fili spent glorious time that day showing little Kili how to stroke and glide across the ice. It was theirs. Their sport. Their time together. Their love. It was quickly apparent that the younger possessed none of the grace and artistry of the elder, but had an aggressive and athletic prowess that made him far better suited to the pairs discipline of figure skating than the elegance and fluidity of the ice dancing that his brother pursued.

From that day forward the two were inseparable, spending every possible second they could with each other when they weren’t skating with their partners. Tauriel, Kili’s red-haired fiery companion, and Fili’s Sigrid would stand to the side and watch with soft smiles as the two melted into each other’s embrace and glided across the ice together while educating the other on what they had learned that given day. They skated far better together than they did with their partners, something obvious to any onlooker, and internally each boy wished nothing more than to be able to skate together in competition, even though they were both painfully aware of the realities of their sport and the perceptions of those around them. Their already close bond blossomed and grew on the ice, developing into one that left many people uncomfortable or confused in the face of their constant physical contact. The girls grew to accept it as a part of them, taking their closeness in stride as long as they devoted time to the continuation of their skills apart from each other, but the questioning eyes followed them regardless of how much time they spent with Sigrid and Tauriel.

* * *

As years passed and bodies developed, so did the quality of the brother’s skating. Kili’s strength enabled him to throw jumps with ease and his natural power sent him soaring above the ice like no one Fili had ever seen. The blond, for his part, had maintained his elegance and beauty and _performed_ each program beautifully, with the ability to create lifts effortlessly and captivate audiences by drawing them into his wonderfully expressive actions. Kili watched his brother with pride and love shining in his eyes and after each competition and each performance, the two brothers sought each other’s arms above all others, and would remain together until society and tradition dictated their separation. Even when apart, their hearts reached out for each other constantly, and their eyes always tracked the other’s movements, never completely settled until they were within sight.

It didn’t take long for fame to flourish for both brothers. The world was instantly captivated with Kili’s athleticism and Fili’s artistry, and both were swept into a world of cameras and microphones, their every move and every edge change being broadcasted to the far reaches of the globe. Both qualified for the World Junior Championships, the biggest competitions of their young careers. The two spent the night before in each other’s arms, a lifetime of closeness helping to counter the nervousness that was palpable in their wide-eyed stares. All the tears, all the pain, all the sweat seemed to be one the line, and as they lay huddled in the dark, professing fears and dreams with their fingers interlaced between them, they knew that they could conquer the world with the strength of the other on their side. They skated separately, but their hearts would always be together.

Fili’s skating was effortless, Sigrid’s limbs an extension of his own as the two of them twizzled and glided across the ice. Where the blond was sinew and grace, Kili was bulk and grit, attacking his programs with raw athleticism and speed, launching his body into triple after triple and throwing Tauriel higher than appeared to be possible. The competition was a Durin family sweep. Amidst the tears from the girls and the joy of the coaches, the two brothers reached for each other, and shared in the win as one entity divided into two bodies, always close.

* * *

After their wins, their world became a whirlwind, it seemed that everyone was trying to keep the two apart, between media interviews where pasted on smiles and scripted lines became the norm and practice sessions spent apart more often than not, for the first time they reached out for the other and their hands couldn’t bridge the gap. It was as terrifying as it was expected. Both pairs were immediately swept into the senior ranks, making large strides as they worked ever harder towards their dreams. The night before their first National Championships, they once again shared a bed, whispering their greatest wishes and their greatest horrors, sharing with each other what they would never share with anyone else. In the face of conflict they cleaved closer together.

That next day they could feel the energy in the rink. An Olympic cycle. The chance at athletic immortality. Kili and Tauriel took to the ice first, Fili’s white knuckled grip leaving indentations on the railings that he gripped with all his might. Their short program was all power, toepicks digging into the ice with ferocity and strength, but with that familiar playful twist that was all Kili. Even as a professional he never lost the childlike cheekiness that Fili so treasured. The results flashed up on the scoreboard, Fili’s eyes overflowing with proud tears as he saw his brother’s name atop the standings after the short. The long program the next day was just the opposite of the previous day’s performance, a showing of the fluidity and beautiful skating skills that Fili had watched develop before his eyes from those first days on the ice with his brother. The roar from the crowd around him upon the completion of their program made his heart thump with joy, watching Kili’s grin light up the arena. Fili reached out to him, but Kili was too lost in the cheers to see, and Fili’s fingers curled around nothing as his brother took in his success.

Fili and Sigrid were as dominant as they were enchanting, crafting a program of beauty and grace, telling a story with their bodies in a way no others could. Sigrid wrapped herself around Fili’s body with such ease that it drew gasps from the crowd. Every part of their programs were done in perfect synchronicity and Kili was as captivated as the rest of the spectators, pride radiating from every pore of his body. He was on his feet before they struck the final pose. In joy, Kili reached out to his brother, but Fili’s eyes were only on the scoreboard, fixed on his numerical fate, never turning towards Kili’s open embrace.

* * *

The skating world was one of glitz and glamor and hidden travesties. Masks were put up and walls were created to prevent issues from coming to light and keep up the illusion of perfection. It was an exhausting world of white lies and tight-lipped smiles. For two young boys thrust into the limelight, it was an overwhelming environment. The only thing that made it bearable was being together. Around each other they could remove the masks and hide the smiles and simply _be_. It was always their sport and always their world. Until it wasn’t anymore. For the first time, neither had the other to help guide their way through the confusion. They were both lost, kept apart by perceptions and image, preventing them from seeing each other as they normally would. The world dictated that they forge their paths alone and that they should create names for themselves separately. The world didn’t understand their bond. Not even they did at times. It was something only acted upon in the dead of night, when skates and programs had no bearing on their thoughts or actions. It was their safe haven, hiding in each other’s arms. And suddenly even that had been ripped away.

They had both qualified for the Olympics, flying to Sochi in separate planes, each with their own team of trainers and physical therapists at their beck and call, each feeling lost and alone in the world that no longer accepted them for who they were. They were greeted by a culture so unlike any they’d every encountered, and yet one where differences were stifled and adventurers were alienated. Every minute was spent speaking to the media or training on or off the ice, creating a rhythm of exhaustion and heartache day after day. It was during those days that they learned what they meant to each other. Whenever they were confronted with fanatic admirers, all they could imagine was the other speaking those same words. Their hearts were one and always would be.

At long last, something had to snap. Kili was practicing throwing a triple lutz, something he had done thousands of times before, only that time his hand slipped. Tauriel was sent crashing to the ice and in that momentary flash of movement, Kili felt his heart physically break with longing for his brother who would have consoled him and instructed him in how to keep going. He didn’t know how to pick up the pieces without Fili by his side. Tauriel was unharmed, but sent Kili away when she saw the desperation and desolation in his eyes. Kili went to his room, slamming the door and curling into a ball on the bed, finally letting the tears of longing snake down his face.

Minutes later, a soft knock came at the door and Fili was revealed before him, dressed for the ice with a gentle smile of understanding gracing his lips. Without a word he took his brother’s hand and guided him to the rink, wiping away the tears with loving touches. For the first time during their stint in Sochi, the ice was empty, not a soul stroking across its surface. Fili tugged gently on Kili’s hand and before he knew it, the two were skating. This was what they both had been missing. They had gotten lost amongst the rhinestones and the media and the questions, they had become separate from the two little boys who simply loved to be together on the ice.

The pure jubilation that soared in each of their hearts was palpable, eyes shining and tears of joy forming again and again. They twirled and twizzled, both delighting in the simple pleasure of being _one_ once more. With no warning, Kili lifted his brother above his head, grinning at the undignified squeak that escaped him. He spun around the ice with Fili above him, feeling so utterly at peace with the world. At long last and with cheeks red with exertion, the two faced each other, fingers intertwined and bodies so close together that they could hear their heartbeats. Slowly and with the greatest of care, both leaned in with the perfect synchronicity that they always showed in competition and captured each other’s lips in a gentle kiss.

It was the culmination of everything: the years of hard work, the hours spent on the ice, the whispers of fears in darkened hotel rooms, all signs had led them to that moment, and nothing had every felt so blissfully _right_. It was a slow dance of passion, for once neither in a hurry to race off to another destination. They lived in the moment and they made it theirs. It was only fitting that their first kiss took place on the ice that had given them so much even after taking so much away. In the coming days when reporters would ask them what their greatest achievement was, they would give the answer society required of them, but they would smile and know in their hearts what they could never tell another soul.

* * *

The day of Olympic competitions should have been the greatest days of their lives, but they seemed almost secondary to the release and love of earlier. They had finally found their places in each other’s lives again and in a capacity far beyond that of simply being brothers. And that victory made the Olympics seem secondary and inferior. They had already won. Those four days were the embodiment of domination, both pairs twizzling and throwing their ways to unprecedented victories on the grandest of scales. They stood on the podium with shining eyes, reaching out to the arms of the other, and having the embrace, at long last, returned. The roaring of the crowd was merely a buzz when they locked eyes with each other and once again became simply two boys, enamored with each other and enamored with the sport of figure skating. And that was all they had ever wanted.


End file.
